GM Finally Admits SUVs Are a Dead-End

SUVs were the equivalent of the long, low, automobiles with tail fins and “port holes” in their sides of the 1960s — a waste of resources that, in the end, greatly damaged the American economy, the environment, and will hardly be missed.

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Ralph Maughan

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.

18 Responses to GM Finally Admits SUVs Are a Dead-End

Now let me do some mathematics (from Gallons to Liter and from Euro to Dollar). Ok, here in Germany we are at the moment at 10 Dollar a Gallon with no longer a price difference for the different octane levels and diesel fuel no longer cheaper. The SUV market here is still booming, thus our SUVs are a bit more efficient than your´s.

Will the CEO at GM get a “golden parachute” when he gets fired for being so far behind the times? GM should have hired President Carter 30 years ago when he predicted the energy crisis. But instead this country elected Ronald Reagan who was so myopic about energy that the first thing he did, upon being elected president, was to have the solar panels from from the White House (that Carter had installed). I always thought that instead of naming an aircraft carrier after Reagan–for allegely winning the cold war–the Exxon Valdez oil tanker should have been renamed the “Ronald Reagan”!

The hard thing is living out here in Rural Land. We can’t just not drive at all though I myself just walk allot. No public transportation here.
I haven’t owned a 4-wheeled vehicle since 2002 when I junked my 1970 Oldsmobile. I’ve been riding an 80’s Honda motorcycle since 1996. The price of gas hurts me too I can’t afford to take my little bike trips anymore for a couple of bucks.

I still believe that if you get good gas mileage from a smaller vehicle that weighs less, you should pay less for a gallon than some shiny roadhog that gets 9 miles a gallon. I feel sorry for the people that have no choice and have to drive these big vehicles for work or transportation.

There is NO choice where I live, I either drive a 4WD or I maintain two homes(both are expensive!), one for summer and one for winter, which around my parts last a long time, we are still getting snow at times where I live, and had as much as 180 inches on the ground at one time this last winter..

If the stuff hits the fan I think the rural small communities are where you’re going to want to be. There’s land to farm. Livestock to eat.

We drive a mini van b/c we’ve got three kids in booster/carseats. If we didn’t we need to drive two cars everywhere. However we don’t go far so we only use 30 bucks in gas on it per week. My husband drives a small fuel efficient forgien car we only ut 40 in per week. He drive it to work.
He works for honda, for now.

Saw a fresh diagram this morning about gas costs per Litre (1 Gallon = 3,78 Litres) worldwide, in Euro:
First (most expensive) is Norway (1,60), followed by Germany (1,50), Europe average is 1,30, USA is 0,70 which still is in the lower center !! By the way, cheapest is Venezuela (0,08)

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‎"At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour."